Weed burner



Nov. 16, 1954 w. E. SIMPSON 2,694,393

WEED BURNER Filed July 11, 195] 3 Sheets-Sheet l William E, Simpson INVENTOR.

Nov. 16, 1954 w. E. SIMPSON WEED BURNER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 11, 1951 William 5. Simpson INVENTOR.

BY w 3% Nova 16, 1954 w SIMPSON 2,694,393

WEED BURNER Filed July 11, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 W/W/am E. Simpson INVENTOR.

Anomqs WEED BURNER William E. Simpson, Dixon, Calif.

Application July 11, 1951, Serial No. 236,169

2 Claims. (Cl. 126271.2)

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in weed burners and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a weed burner including horizontally swingable burner supporting arms that are adjustably connected to vary the area covered by flames emitted from the burners on the arms.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a weed burner composed of a pair of horizontally swingable burner supporting arms and means attached to the arms for selectively raising and lowering the arms to their active or inactive positions.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a weed burner of the aforementioned character having the necessary means thereon for supplying an air-fuel mixture to the burners and for raising or lowering the burner supporting arms.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a weed burner that is extremely small and compact in structure, eflicient and reliable in use, strong and reliable in operation, inexpensive to assemble, operate and service, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same was intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of Figure 1 to illustrate the burner supporting arms;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view, partly in elevation, illustrating one of the burners used in the present invention;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged transverse horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 6-6 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 77 of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan view of one of the bar members shown in Figure 7; and,

Figure 9 is a plan view of the invention in modified form.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral 10 represents a frame having supporting wheels 12 and a hitch 14 at its forward end.

The rear end of the frame 10 carries a pair of bearings 16 that rotatably support a horizontally rotatable transverse shaft 18. The forward bifurcated ends 20 of a pair of swingable burner-supporting arms 22 are pivoted to the ends of the shaft 18.

A fuel tank 24 is supported on the frame 10 and is divided into a liquid fuel compartment 26 and an air compartment 28 by a partition 30. The frame 10 also supports an air compressor 32 and an engine 34 that are mounted on the tank. The engine 34 is operatively connected to the compressor 32 to actuate the latter.

A vertically inclined pneumatically actuated jack 36 is supported on the frame and is secured to the tank and 8 includes a piston rod 38 whose outer end is connected to p 2,694,393 Patented Nov. 16, 1954 flexible elements 40 attached to the outerportions of the arms 22. The combined inlet and outlet nipple of the ram 36 is connected by a flexible tubing 42 to a conduit 44 that extends to the outlet side of the air compressor. A manually actuated valve 46 is provided in the tubing 42 to control the flow of air through the conduit 44.

A conventional pressure gage 48 is supported on the tank 24 for indicating the pressure of fuel in compartment 26 and a second and similar pressure gage Si) is supported on the tank for indicating the air pressure in the compartment. A well known pressure regulator 52 is carried by the tank 24 and communicates with both compartments 26 and 28. A pressure relief valve 54 is supported on the tank in communication with the tank 24.

The arms 22 support a plurality of downwardly and rearwardly inclined burners 56 each of which includes a cylindrical body portion 58 having apertures 60 in its upper end. A perforated sleeve 62 extends from the upper end of each portion 58 and is attached to an upper reduced perforated sleeve 64. A tubular mixing chamber 66 extends from each sleeve 64 and is attached to a T-fitting 68 and a branch line 70.

A fuel line 72 extends from the tank 24 and is connected to tubes 74 and 76 paralleling the arms 22 by flexible tubes 78 and 80. A valve 82 controls the flow of fuel through the tubes 74 and 76. The tubes 74 and 76 are composed of sections joined by T-fittings 94 whose depending ends are connected to the fittings 68.

The line 44 is connected to air conduits 86 and 88 by flexible tubes 90 and 92. The conduits 86 and 88 are composed of sections joined by T-fittings 94 whose depending limbs are connected to the upper ends of the branch lines 70.

A valve 96 controls the flow of air through the conduit 44 and into the tubes 90 and 92.

Means is provided for adjustably connecting the supporting arms 22 whereby the apparatus may be employed for burning strips of weeds of predetermined width. This means comprises a pair of bar-members 98 whose outer ends are pivoted to the arms 22. The inner adjacent ends 100 of the bar-members 98 are disposed one above the other and are pivotally connected by a fastener 102. The opposing faces of the ends 100 are formed with clutch teeth or radial ribs 104 with the teeth of one end 100 engaged between the teeth of the other end 100.

In practical use of the invention shown in Figures 1-8 inclusive, the arms 22 are raised and lowered as a unit by the ram 36 with fluid under pressure entering the ram from operation of the compressor 32. The fluid entering the ram is regulated by manual actuation of the valve 46.

When the arms 22 have been lowered to a substantially horizontal position, the valve 46 is closed and the arms 22 are adjusted toward or away from each other by looseneing the fastener 102. Then, the fastener 102 is tightened to retain the arms 22 spaced a predetermined distance. The fuel entering the burners 56 is ignited, by suitable means, and a flame will be directed downwardly and rearwardly from each burner to burn weeds as the apparatus is pulled forwardly by a towing vehicle.

Reference is now directed to Figure 9 wherein there is illustrated the device in slightly modified form. In this embodiment the forward ends of the burner-supporting arms 22a are pivotally secured to a cross-bar 18a and the arms are adjustably connected by bar-members 98a in the manner previously described.

Each of the arms 22a supports a plurality of downwardly and rearwardly inclined burners 56a, similar to the burners 56, and the arms 22a are connected together and to the cross-bar 18a by chains 40a.

The tank 24a and the various controls previously described and shown in Figure 1, are mounted on the bed B of a vehicle with the air compartment of the tank connected by a conduit to the air inlets of the burners and with the fuel compartment of the tank connected by a conduit to the fuel inlets of the burners.

A post 106 rises from the bed B and swingably supports a boom 108 whose outer end is connected to the chains 40a in such a manner as to retain the arms 22a substantially horizontal. A cable drum 110 mounted on o the post and including an operating crank 112 and a 3 conventional ratchet and pawl, is connected by a cable and pulleys to the boom in order to permit raising and lowering of the boom.

Having described my invention, what is claimed as new 1s:

1. A weed burner comprising .a horizontally disposed and rotatable mounting .bar, a pair \of horizontally swingable arms pivoted to .said bar, an adjustable connection between the intermediate portions of said arms :for selectively retaining the arms toward .and .away from each other, means connected to the arms for raising the arms and for rotating the bar, and a plurality of vertically inclined burners mounted on each of the arms, wherein said adjustable connection includes a pair of bar members having outer ends pivoted .to said arms and inner 15 ends, a fastener joining the inner ends of the bar members, said inner ends having opposed :interengaged clutch faces.

2. A weed burner comprising a 'wheeled frame, a fuel tank supported on the frame, :aspower-operated air compressor supported on the frame, .a horizontally rotatable mounting bar carried by the frame, said bar being rotatable aboutits longitudinalaxis, :a pairof arms pivoted to the bar, pneumatic means operativel-y connected to the arms and to the air compressor for se' lectively raising and lowering the arms :and .rotating the bar, a pair of bar .members having :outer ends pivoted to said arms, a fastener forming a pivot joining the :inner ends of said bar members, the inner ends of said bar members 'being disposed one above the other and having interengaged teeth on their opposed faces, and a group of vertically inclined burners mounted on each arm and having lower open ends, said burners being connected to said air compressor and said tank, said tank supplying fuel and said compressor supplying combustion air to said burners and supplying pressure air to actuate said pneumatic means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 22,836 ,McLemore et a1. Jan. 28, 1947 502,135 Parker July 25, 1893 770,575 Harper Sept. 20, 1904 810,793 McKeen et al. Jan. 23, 1906 31,061,549 Lamb May 13, 1913 1,152,144 Caldwell Aug. 31, 1915 1,500,340 Smith July 8, 1924 1,629,044 Morter May 17, 1927 1,799,035 Benien-et a1 Mar. 31, 1931 1,855,065 Mitchell Apr. 19, 1932 1,925,164 Woolery .Sept. 2, 1933 1,940,170 Howery et al. Dec. '19, 1933 2,093,840 Kulczak Sept. 21, 1937 

